Adjustable magazine plug



March 5, 1968 c. CASSELL 3,371,440

ADJUSTABLE MAGAZ INE PLUG Filed March 24, 1967 INVENTOR CHARLES CASSELL3,371,440 ADJUSTABLE MAGAZINE iLUG Charles Cassell, 2708 SW. 44th,Oklahoma City, Okla. 73119 Filed Mar. 24, 1967, Ser. No. 625,848(Jlaims. (Cl. 4249) ABSTRACT GF THE DISCLGSURE A plug adapted to beremovably inserted into the magazine of a shotgun to absorb moisturewhich would otherwise impair the functioning of the shotgun, and inaddition when necessary, to reduce the capacity of the magazine to twoshells as required by law in certain states when hunting migratorybirds.

Summary of the invention I provide a hollow cylindrical container filledwith silica gel and open at both ends. An end cap removably fits in oneend as a seal. A disc having a central threaded bore is disposed in theother end, the disc having a plurality of holes disposed between thebore and the disc periphery.

When the container is disposed with disc end inward into the shotgunmagazine, the moisture created in the magazine by condensation therein(as the gun is fired and the resultant heating and cooling of the barrelproduces heating and cooling of the magazine) is absorbed in the silicagel. This moisture will otherwise cause resulting and leave a residue;this combination can produce shell feed jamming and improper functioningof the shotgun.

In order to reduce the magazine capacity, elongated shaft means havingan axis coincident with the axis of the cylinder is disposed in themagazine with one end secured to the disc bore and the other end bearingagainst the adjacent shell.

Brief description 0 the drawings In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of my plug in use;

FIG. 1A is a view through AA in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a side view of my plug as fully assembled;

FIG. 3 is a view through 33 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective exploded view of the parts of my plug.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments Referring now to thefigures, I provide a hollow cylindrical container filled with silica gel12.

An end cap 14 having a lip 16 fits detachably in one end of container10. A disc 18 detachably seals the other end of the container. Disc 18has a central threaded bore 20 and four holes 22 (exposing the gel)equidistantly spaced between the bore and the disc periphery.

An inwardly tapering shaft 24, at its larger end, has a reduced diameterextension 26 threadedly engageable with bore 20, the shaft axis beingcoincident with the container axis. The shaft has a central threadedbore 28 3,371,440 Patented Mar. 5, 1968 at the other end. A cylindricalextension 30 has, at one end, a reduced diameter threaded extension 32engageable with bore 28, its other end being rounded.

In use the entire structure can be placed inside the hollow magazine 34of a shotgun 36 with lip 16 in contact with the open end and the roundedend of extension 30 in contact with an adacent one of two shells 36,thus providing the desired reduction in capacity. Spring loading can beprovided by coil spring 38 circumferentially disposed about shaft 24 andextension 30, with one end passing into follower 40 and bearing againstthe disc of the follower. The other side of the follower bears againstthe shell.

For trap and skeet shooters requiring full magazine capacity, shaft 24and extension 3t can be removed. Extension 30 is used when regular sizeshells are used and can be removed separately when longer shells (suchas magnum) are employed.

The device can be made of aluminum, ebonite and various plastics and canbe varied in dimension to accommodate its use in all brands and gaugesof automatic and pump shot guns.

While I have described my invention with particular reference to thedrawings, my protection is to be limited only by the terms of the claimswhich follow.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A plug insertable into a shotgun magazine to reduce the shellcapacity thereof, said plug comprising a hollow cylindrical containerfilled with silica gel,

both ends of the container being open;

a cap adapted to be removably disposed in one open end of the containerto seal same; and

a disc detachably disposed in the other open end of the container, saiddisc having a centrally disposed threaded bore and a plurality of holesequidistantly spaced and disposed between the bore and the discperiphery.

2. A plug as set forth in claim 1 further including an elongatedslightly inwardly tapering shaft, the larger shaft end having a threadedextension engageable with the disc bore whereby the shaft extends awayfrom the disc and container and has an axis coincident with the axis ofthe container.

3. A plug as set forth in claim 2 further including a generallycylindrical extension engageable at one end with the other end of theshaft and having an axis aligned with the shaft, the other end of thecylindrical extension being rounded.

4. A plug as set forth in claim 3 wherein said cap engages the open endof the magazine and said cylindrical extension bears against theadjacent shell in the magazine.

5. A plug as set forth both in claim 4 further including a coil springencircling the shaft and cylindrical extension, one end of the springbearing against a follower, the other bearing against said containerdisc.

No references cited.

BENJAMIN A. BROCHELT, Primary Examiner.

